Is investing a task perpetually on your "to-do" list? Are you befuddled by market timing, wondering when and how to invest your money? You can invest effectively without being a market guru or knowing how to time the markets. (In fact, nobody can accurately predict the markets 100% of the time, no matter...

You decide to clean up your finances, create a budget, and start saving money. But a few months later, progress is slow and you're losing inspiration to stay on track. Welcome to the club! Here are 18 ways to stay motivated, keep your budget buckled, and your savings swinging. Know Why You're Saving...

This whole site is about setting yourself on a better course financially, so I'm not going to go into detail about the CareOne plans or how specifically to address your debts. This post is to help you think about the bigger picture of reducing the decision-making required to build a better financial...

With school back in full swing, this is a perfect time of year to enjoy fun family activities that won't break the bank. I'll tell you about three that I particularly like, and then I'd love for you to share your own favorites in the comments. 1. High-School Sports Maybe I focus on this because I grew...

In 2010, the average Federal income tax refund was about $3,000 . A lot of households count on that windfall -- which is really just Uncle Sam paying you back for extra money that you advanced him over the course of the preceding year -- to cover incidental expenses or to pay for a major purchase like...

When you charge your laptop or cell phone, do you sometimes leave it plugged in beyond the time that it's fully charged? Do you have appliances with remotes, LED lights, constant displays, or power adaptors? If so (and most likely you do), then you are an unwitting consumer of standby power, and...

Kids are headed back to school, which means parents have been whipping out their wallets to pay for back-to-school clothes and supplies. But we should all be a little less quick on the draw when Missy begs for that new pair of jeans or Junior swears that he'll be the only kid in school without an...